Who Run the World

We talked to Randa Bahsoun at the WeInitiative and BLC Bank conference, A Step Towards Equality. Randa is a partner at consulting company PWC in Dubai. She talked to us about gender equality in her native Lebanon, who are her female role models, and the greatest lesson she's learned throughout her career. 

We sat down with Professor Josiane Fahed Sreikh at the BLC Bank and WeInitiative conference: A Step Towards Equality. Josiane is a professor at LAU University, specializing in management and family businesses. She spoke to us about gender equality, but also what it will take to reach equality in Lebanon. She also shared with us who her role models were and the lessons she has learned throughout her career. 

We talked to Ayla Ziz at the BLC Bank and WeInitiative conference A Step Towards Equality. Ayla just recently moved to Beirut as the Managing Director for Uniliver Levant and Baghdad. She talks to us about gender equality, the lessons she's learned, her female role models and her views on feminism. Stay tuned to her full story on our second season. 

During the BLC Bank and WeIntiative conference, A Step Towards Equality, we sat down with Rebecca Bou Chebel. Rebecca has over 18 years of international experience in strategic communications and public relations that spans from Iraq to Washington DC. She shared with us her views on what it will take to make Lebanon more equal between the genders. Stay tuned for her full interview in our second season. 

In the last episode of the first season, host and producer, Marilyn and Rhea sit together to talk about all things podcast, career and of course feminism. They kick off  the episode by looking back at what was it like producing the first season. They then have an interesting discussion on what the word feminist means to them, and why they feel the urgency to fight for gender equality. Finally, both Marilyn and Rhea give us an update on their careers. 

In this special episode, our producer Rhea talks to Antoinette Tayar who has built an illustrious career as a computer engineer over the last thirty plus years. You might recognize Antoinette's name because she also the mother of our host Marilyn, who has shared a bunch of stories about Antoinette throughout the season. We figured it was time you hear Antoinette's story straight from her. 

Hind Sergieh is the founder of ARkub, a VR and AR company based out of Dubai. Of Syrian descent, but born and raised in Canada, Hind's career trajectory is kind of the opposite of what you hear everyday. She started off her career by doing different various jobs in Canada. At the same time, she was invited to become a member of a number of board of directors. She later decided to leave Canada and the boards behind and to launch her own venture in the Middle East. She packed her bags, and moved to Dubai to join an industry that was just picking up. Hind can only be described as a risk taker, and in this episode, we look at at what it means to be a risk taker, and whether it is a gendered behavior.  

Marilyn sits down with Womena founder Elissa Freiha, who shares her entrepreneurial journey and all the challenges and victories she has faced along the way. Elissa launched Womena in 2014 from Dubai. It started as an angel investment network and today has turned into part accelerator and part media company with its new web-series called Womentum. During the episode, Marilyn and Elsa talk about what it means to be an entrepreneur but they also have a debate on positive discrimination, and how companies can bridge the gap between male and female representation.

Elsa Aoun is the co-founder and CEO of Ounousa. Marilyn got to sit down with Elsa in their country's capital: Beirut. Elsa shared with us a bunch of details of her personal journey from her days as one of the only girls in her Engineering class, to working in consulting and to starting her own company. Elsa's takes us through the early days of Ounousa, how she raised funds, and how she scaled her business. What's particularly amazing about Elsa's story is that from her college days until her CEO days, she has been working alongside her husband Wassim. They have what we call a Dual Career Relationship. We explore the dynamics of that relationship and take a deep dive into what a dual career relationship really is.   

In this special episode, we flip the microphone on Marilyn, who goes from being a host to becoming a guest. She shares her story from childhood to becoming a manager, up until her last day at her first job. Through our conversation, we discuss what it means to be a leader, and how its reward system is drastically different from that of an individual performer. Also Marilyn talks about what it was like to be one of only two women on the executive board, and finally she tells us why her last day at Keeward was her very best day at work.